BSCI 222 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Melanosome, Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone, Quantitative Genetics
4 Jan 2016
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Two forms- found in all animals: found in all kinds of organisms, including bacteria, eumelanin darker, phaeomelanin lighter, redder. Commonly measured w/ melanin index: light reflected off skin to calculate darkness. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin: melanosomes is the organelle that produces melanin. Melanin produced in cells are called melanocytes: in organelles called. People generally have same number of melanocytes- the cells. Dark skin has more melanosomes- the organelle ; light skin has fewer* *melanoma is so deadly because melanoma spreads to other tissues. Melanin is produced by cells from an amino acid tyrosine. Every step in melanin production involves proteins enzymes. Each enzymes is coded for a particular gene. Every gene for every step has multiple alleles. This means melanin synthesis involves many proteins, genes, many alleles. A few of the key proteins in melanin synthesis: signal molecule- melanocyte stimulating hormone made in pituitary.
